


Arm’s-length

by DollyTheShippingGoddess



Category: South Park
Genre: Cutesy, Fluff, M/M, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, Teen Romance, Teen Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-04-28 13:57:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14450730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollyTheShippingGoddess/pseuds/DollyTheShippingGoddess
Summary: Clyde Donovan for some reason has never been very liked kid. Struggling with his feelings,his mothers death,homework and his self-esteem each day goes mostly by misery. He decides he no longer accepts this kind of life. Unfortunely Clyde finds himself between a rock and a hard place.It's a mess of feelings and relationships!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Arm’s-length means-used for describing something such as a business deal in which the different sides avoid having a close relationship with each other.  
> In this case its not a business deal, it is just a deal.
> 
> This fic will be a little messy or maybe actully very messy. I dont really undestand how this side works of fics at all so I apologize if this is hard to read. I hope its still enoyable!  
> I really like Clyde, I think he deserves more love!

Its an lonely and rainy saturday afternoon. Clyde Donovan, a total loser, has nowhere where he needs to be. At least thats what he thinks.  
He sighs and thinks to himself “ I am so freaking bored.“  
Theres really nowhere he should be. Even if he had to be somewhere then it couldn´t be anything intresting or impotant. Theres a big party coming up at Token´s house next week. Token is kinda of an asshole but Clyde still cherishes his friendship,it´s just the way Token is. He doesn´t really get invited that often to Token`s parties. Clyde doesn´t really know why, they never been that close but lately it seems like the distance has gotten even further.  
Clyde sighs irritated by the weather. „This fucking sucks“-he groans into his pillow.  
Suddenly his phone rangs, the phone number seems unfamilar and Clyde hesitates before he answers.He thinks to himself „Who could this person possible be? It could be about homework, but then again who would call me to ask about homework, I don´t know shit about it myself either.“  
Clyde decides to answer the phone, he has come to a conclusion that it must be a prank call anyways, which he hopes would be at least very good.  
He grabs be the phone with blank facial expression and says“ Yeah...Hello?“  
Slightly familar voice answers to him and says“ Oh hey, dude! It´s me!“  
„Me, who?“ replies Clyde with pure confusion.  
The voice answers in a little hesitation „Oh right...Its me! Stan!This is Clyde,right?"  
Clyde replies“Yeah...“  
Stan doesn´t like the akward silence so he continuous „wow boy it sure has been years since I called you I guess?“ he laughs cheerfully.  
Clyde bursts out laughing “"Oh shit! Dude, I didn´t even reconize your voice...you shouldn´t really smoke so much weed man, like I tell you once I-"  
Stan is confused but he figures it´s probaly just Clyde´s way of greeting him so he replies „ What? No? Everyone knows Clyde that you steal from your uncle now and then weed, no need to brag about it!"  
Clyde feels like his joke fell on it´s face, he is kinda nervous, he doesn´t really phone his classmates often, but he still keeps his cool and asks in very neutral voice“Oh cool...so whats up?“  
Stan answers him cheerfully“Yeah, dude I was wondering if you would like to come to see the match!“  
Stan´s voice tone changes slightly,he almost sounds now depressed „ I´d usally go with Kyle but he is the one playing today so..“  
Clyde thinks to himself“Kyle?“ they are in the same team and yet here he is, if Kyle is playing then so should be he. He doesn´t think about it for too long, so he replies to Stan „"Uhhh...I don´t really know...I mean I don´t get along with Kyle really..."  
Stan interupts him“ What? Why?“  
Clyde says feeling little blue: „Well, we are in the same team, and he kinda seems to hate me.“  
Stan giggles „Dude! No fucking way! That must be your imagination! Kyle doesn´t hate anyone if there isn´t a good reason. I can´t think of any reasons why he would hate you. After all, I don´t think he barely remembers you are in his team!“  
Stan starts laughing“The other day me and Kyle were out and with your team and someone asked „Hey where Clyde!“ and Kyle looked so confused like who even is Cly-.“  
Clyde interupts Stan with an resentful and fast words „Great, message me the place.“  
Stan can´t finish his words so he says“Good By-“ when Clyde already had ended the call.  
Stan thinks to himself that Clyde sounded angry. „Maybe I shouldn´t had said that“ he thought to himself.  
He opens his phone and finds Clyde´s contacts, it has been long time since he texted Clyde so he leaves an rather formal message„Today at half past seven, at school´s gym, I´ll meet you there.“  
Clyde replies instantly with just bare word“ Okey.“  
Boys meet at the promised time and place. Stan greets Clyde and Clyde greets him back. They sit on the back of the benches. There seems to be rather lot people around, but theres still good 5 minutes till the game starts.  
Clyde and Stan sit silently for some time.


	2. The game

Two boys. Clyde and Stan-almost complete strangers are sitting next to each other waiting for a game they decided to see toghether. Clyde seems to be annoyed and angry. Stan kinda gets why, it wasn´t really nice thing to make fun of someone who he barely even knows and as a first call.  
Stan feels quilty and he doesn´t really like when people ignore him, so he turns to Clyde and says:  
„Clyde, Im sorry if I sounded mean by the phone. I wasn´t my intention. Let´s just enoy the game?“  
Clyde looks him in the eye blankly and says neutrally „It was dumb to be mad at you anyways, let´s enoy the game indeed“  
That seems to lift up Stan´s mood. He now looks down happily for brief second, he is glad he didn´t had to come alone after all. It would had sucked to come alone.  
Clyde however seems kinda distressed. He looks around the hall and on the seats...“Just where the hell is everybody?“-he sighs to himself quietly since he doesn´t notice anyone from him team on the whole hall. Hall full of faces and people, and he knows no one.  
The sound of whistle breaks his thoughts and the game starts.  
Clyde raises his head up and his eyes are filled with fear,confusion and dissapointment..Clyde opens his mouth and his voice trembles „ Thats...thats my team!“ Stan looks his way with confusion and asks carefully...“Well aren´t you in the team as well,Clyde?“ .  
Many thoughts go threw Clyde´s mind threw those few seconds before he answers Stan. Clyde looks in the game ground and says with most neutral voice ever“ I thought so too, I thought“.  
Stan sees his facial expression and understands whats going on so he takes few minutes to think.  
Stan pats Clyde´s shoulder and comes closer to his ear, since the noise of the crowd is suppressing. „It will be alright, let´s just live in the moment for now“-Stan´s voice is sweet and caring, he said it to Clyde in a same way someone had said it to their best friend. Clyde takes his advice. So he starts focusing on the game.  
The crowd is excited. It´s not very often you will see South Park kids facing the Boston High kids so bravely. They never actully played with them.  
Clyde explains to Stan why he thinks the Bostons off guard players suck. Stan doesn´t seem to understand much about basketball so he nods and smiles.  
Clyde notices that Stan´s eyes sparkle while he watches the game. Clyde who has been playing basketball for many years has never felt this excited about watching a game he can´t feel part of so curiously. Clyde thinks to himself, maybe it is because I am dissapointed in my „team mates“ after all... I wasn´t in this big game.  
He has never seen Stan playing football, but yet Stan watches it so eagerly, he doesn´t seem to understand the basketballs rules or even basics of it as far as Clyde is considered.  
Clyde asks him politetly „Hey Stan, you don´t seem like a football intrested kid, why do you show up for every game?It isn´t hard to tell you don´t understand the rules of the game, but its not a bad thing. Im just curious...why do you like it?.“  
Stan freezes for a second and then stutters with smile on his face“ We..well you got to support your friends, don´t you? „  
Clyde nods and answers him „Fri...friends.?..I see so thats how it goes.“ Stan looks at his way and smiles.  
Clyde asks Stan „So you like basketball because your friends play it? Wouldn´t it be much fun to join the team then?“  
Stan answers him quickly „Im not made to play football, besides I like watching things from the side.“  
Clyde looks a little melanholic and asks now with sad tone in his voice „ Doesn´t it get kinda lonely tho...watching it from the side? Don´t you want to be with them?“  
Stan looks a little irritated now and raises his voice, sharp and fast he answers“ Cut the crap! Talk to those assholes then already if you don´t like being left out! I get the hints!“  
This startles Clyde, he wasn´t hinting on his loneliness, at least on purpuse. Neither did he want the misery so he feels bad he angered Stan, a only person this weekend who had showed any intrested in him or his plans.  
Clyde decides to talk to his team mates later, Stan is absolutely correct.  
Clyde faces Stan proudly with a smile „You are right! I will, sorry for ruining the mood, its all about THE GAME TONIGHT!“.  
Stan likes his spirit and jumps up from the bench while he almost shouts to the game „ GO COWS!! GO!“ Clyde decides to do the same, after all shouting is kind of fun.  
And so the two of them shout and cheer for the game. Clyde seems kind of aggresive“ THE BALL..THE BALL TOKEN!!!“ he yells. Stan however seems to have eyes on only certain players, he doesn´t yell like Clyde,he yells only the team name sometimes and cheers. Clyde doesn´t seem to understand why. He doesn´t question it for too long until Stan shouts at his loudest to the game „KYLE, DON´T GIVE UP!“ . Clyde looks at Stan´s face...Stan looks shocked, so does Clyde. He never heard Stan yell so loud, ever. The crowd seemed all to look Stan´s way, but just for a brief second,since the whistle blows out for the break. And the whole crowd had already forgotten about Stan, in those few seconds, all everyone had in mind now was second half and where to get the best hot dogs the fastest. Clyde has still eyes on Stan. Clyde blurts out loud „Odd“ without any thinking.  
Stan´s face is kind of red. Clyde notices this and doesn´t want Stan to feel bad for his spirit,after all Kyle is his best friend. Clyde looks at Stan and says „Let´s go and grab a popcorn and some soda, my treat.“ Stan doesn´t say anything and he just nodds. They get off the bench and go for silent walk to food stand and back. They don´t talk much. The athmosphere has become akward...suddenly and for no reason at all. Stan only seems to look down, eyes to the ground.  
„Whats up with that?“ „He is so odd...“thinks Clyde to himself.  
He buys popcorn and soda to Stan and gives them to him with smile „My treat, its been a good game.“ Stan nods and smiles „Thanks! It sure has“ his mood lifts up.  
Clyde thinks to himself „I wonder what was he down about?.. is he easily embrassed or what?“  
They sit back to bench, just on time for second half. 2 minutes left before the game starts again.  
Popcorn and soda on Stan´s hand he suggest they could sit. Clyde agrees, he is sure theid stand up anyways once the game starts and he was right. As soon as the game started Stan stood up and started staring at the certain players again.  
Clyde is curious and asks „Who are you eyeing certainly, the weak link fat guy on the left?“  
Stan is silent. „Didn´t he notice what I was saying?“ thinks Clyde to himself, he continous „ Yeah.. that fat guy is no good really, that would be kinda like if Cartman would play in a game! Selfish for the ball for and fame himself.“. Stan doesn´t answer him again. Clyde is little irritated...Who could possibly be so damn intresting?.  
Clyde thinks all possible players he could watch, following Stan´s glimpse he realizes its Kyle.  
„Kyle is really good, huh?“ he says to Stan now. Stan turns Clyde´s way fast and smiles „Yeah he is pretty good !“ Clyde understands his proudness, Kyle has been admirable for Clyde for some time now. Clyde answers „Must be awesome to have best friend as the school´s best player“  
Stan smiles and raises his voice happily „Yeah! He has really got some mad skills.“  
Clyde continous with the praises „ Of course! Not only that! He is also very handsome!“  
Stan now looks Clyde into eye straight with straight face , which made Clyde realize he had said it in a totally wrong way so he corrects himself quickly „ YEAH THATS WHAT THE GIRLS SAY! He is very popular with the girls!! THE GIRLS“.  
Stan suddenly starts laughing „Of course Clyde „the girls“- he giggles.  
Clyde seems to get grumpy so Stan lightens the mood „He has got the looks and the brain and body, thats no secret for neither a guy or a girl! Handsome is a good word to describe him as well.“  
Clyde is suprised by Stan´s sentence but he understood it was to cheer him up so he doesn´t say much and they both watch the game now silently.By silent it means they don´t talk, they yell in the crowd.


End file.
